​​Members of the Southwark Pensioners Centre recently visited the Coronet and rekindled memories of cinema going. This building used to be an ABC cinema and Coronet cinema from 1932-1999. The conversation ranged from the bulging attractions of cinemascope to the sexiness of Betty Grable, feasting on walnut whips to the comedic value of Chaplin.

Joseph May: "It brought back memories for me. Taken when I was younger, with mum or dad, or one of my many brothers and sisters. And when I was a teenager. I remember the colours, the golds, the reds. The ABC. It was spotless. And you either went upstairs or down here, depending upon what seats you could afford. It might be me, being romantic, but there was adventure and excitement. Your going to see a certain film or person. It might have been the company you were with. To me it was just magical. I could still see the people still sitting there. It was a people's place. It was just people there, to see whatever they want to see. You just went in on a film. You didn't see it from the beginning. This is where I came in. This is the story of my life."

The Coronet is currently a live music and events venue that is scheduled to close its doors for the last time on New Year's Eve. The building will be demolished as part of the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle shopping centre.

The Melodramatic Elephant in the Haunted Castle is an arts project about the history of the Coronet from 1872-2017. It will be staged at the Coronet on the 8 November with a follow-up art exhibition from 11-23 November 2017.